Ocean and Sand
by Hope Trinket
Summary: [358/2] - The sea was calming, to Xion. To others, it wasn't. But Destiny Islands had somehow wove itself into her dreams, bringing along two unfamiliar faces who played a role in her fate...


Perhaps it's the many trips to the ocean that causes this...

Xion cannot go out on missions anymore – _not quite the same _– without hearing the rushing of waves in her head. Sometimes the smell of salt, the sea, will hit her senses and she'll sigh heavily, inhaling deeply _...and she's at the islands again._

She sees behind the tapestry of closed eyelids and the golden sun a broad surface sprinkled with grains of sand, a clear, pristine and endless pool of water. The waves lap lazily at the shores, ocean's hands as she brings gifts from her depths to sand, pulling them back again. And sometimes sand refuses to let go of the new possessions spread across his back. A small hollow is formed beneath the shell, immobilizing it, steeling it from approaching water. In the end, ocean usually wins – but sometimes sand holds long enough for a passerby to scoop up precious loot and walk away with newfound treasure.

"You're doing it again..."

Larxene is frowning at her, lips puckered in something akin to a pout. And slowly, as the words finally seep into Xion's mind, the image of the islands drains away into an unseen sinkhole, revealing the orange skies and brown buildings of Twilight Town, the usual place for missions. She flushes, embarrassed, because this is not the first time she has had the wings of her train of thought clipped.

"Sorry..." She mutters, pulling the hood of her cloak down more so. The mixture of scents from different surrounding shops envelop her senses, and it is at this point where Xion has lost all connection with the ocean... until next time, of course. With her other hand, she grazes the star-shaped end of the sea shell nuzzled in her pocket. Through her glove, she can still feel the somewhat sharp edges of yellow edges.

The blonde rolls her eyes, jade green orbs averting towards the Sandlot. "Yeah, well it'd be nice for a change if you'd stop daydreaming about the other brat. Number 13. And don't get me started on Axel," She turns and leads Xion towards their next destination. "I'm in a very bad mood right now so hurry up and kill some Heartless all ready."

Xion nods shakily, swallowing thickly as Larxene roughly shoves her forward, causing her to stumble in the small heeled boots. She closes her eyes briefly and a crescendo of white light wraps her right hand, Keyblade appearing with a slight '_shing_'. Placing her left hand over right, over the handle, Xion bounds forward as different types of Heartless swirl into vision. She feels the ricochet of the blade as it knocks against different enemies, smothering them into black mist as a pink heart floats to the skies.

Her heart skips a beat when a certain knife cackling with sparks soars her way. She flinches visibly and takes a sudden step back only to fall on her rear right as the projectile makes contact with its target. Xion does not suppress the glare directed to Larxene, but the latter hardly notices, or rather she simply doesn't care.

"Let's go, we're almost done here."

And she does, albeit twice as moody as she was before. It wasn't her fault Larxene didn't give a damn who she struck with a knife. In battle, for her, anything goes and if allies got hurt, it was their fault. To Xion, she pays mind to friends fighting with her, against enemies. She catches the Heartless behind Roxas or Axel when their back is turned, facing another.

Needless to say, Xion didn't dislike anyone, didn't hate anyone. She had a rough path with Saix, but she wouldn't describe what she felt as hate.

With Larxene, Xion was just disappointed and beneath that, a bit sad. Because somebody like Larxene did not have a simple life before becoming a Nobody. And as much as curiosity bit at her, nipping at the corners of her mind, Xion didn't question. And up to her last day, she never did.

* * *

When she sleeps, she dreams.

And they're not always pleasant dreams.

Sometimes she's with her friends on the clock tower, sea salt ice cream in hand, and other times, she dreams of _them_... Two people, sometimes three... But no matter the number, they manifest into strangers: A boy with brown hair and deep blue eyes, and a girl with short red tresses with and the oddest colour of eyes... They're like an amethyst when held under light, dark, but something in the centre stands out. Their laugh mingles together, like two instruments, and they fit together; two pieces of a puzzle.

Xion blinks slowly as she observes them from far away. They're so absorbed in their conversations (the boy is extremely animated when they talk) that they don't notice her from their seats at the dock. Sometimes they're on one of the islands, near the waterfall, or in front of the cabin. But regardless, they're surrounded by the blue Xion has come to love, her personal sanctuary.

She feels something gnaw inside her chest and guilt and regret bubble within. Because these are not _her _islands, and whoever these two people are, they deserve to walk along its sands just as much as she does. But Xion can't help but feel... _jealous_. And the jealousy leads to confusion and frustration... She doesn't know if these are memories before she became a Nobody, number XIV. Her hair is not the same cranberry red, nor are her eyes the same vibrant hues... But the hair is parted the same way, the face is the same...

At times, Xion wakes up in the middle of the night, head pounding and skin clammy with sweat. She finds the sheets strewn to the floor in a mess and she pulls them back atop the mattress, giving herself something to do, something to distract her from those images and dreams of those two people...

Unlike most after a bad dream, she does not go to anyone for comfort. Both Roxas and Axel had promised to be there for her if she needed to talk, but she continues to shrug off the dreams and continues on with objective after objective...

* * *

It was only a matter of time when she has to stop and pay attention to the boy and the girl. Because they were part of her, and she was a part of them. They were meant to exist, she was not. More importantly, to her and Roxas, they were _threats_.

And Xion never knew she would end up being one of the many keys to their reunion. She never knew her and Roxas were the final locks preventing Sora from returning to the real world. But a harder realisation...

She never expected the unimaginable guilt in her heart as she fought her two closest friends, her family, to do what was right – not for her, but for everyone.

* * *

**Author Note: **Random one shot for Xion here. Nothing special, but review if you want, I guess. Just wanted to try something different.


End file.
